Tractor wheel



L. E. SLAUSON. TRACTOR WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1919.

L. E. SLAUSON;

TRACTOR WHEEL.

APPLICATION man IAN. n, 1919.

Patented 001;. 1922.

2 SHEETS- HE T l,&33,569.

Em. @ummhm Patented Get. 31, 1922.

LOUIS E. SLAUSON, IMOLINE/ILZINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO OF ROCK ISLAND,ILLINOIS.

ttea saIn-Inon-enrr comrsnr,

TRACTOR WHEEL.

Application filed January 17, 1919. Serial No. 371,725.

To aZZ whom e't may concern:

lie it known that I, LOUIS E. SLAUsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock island and State oi. Illinois,have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Tractor \Vheels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tractor wheels, of that class which are providedwith sectional shoes or tread members, to assist in the sup port of thewheel when traveling over sot't ground. In; practice, the soft ground.is usually also of a wet and stick 1 character, so that with many Wheelsof this class the at tachments to the rim soon become filled with f theearth, and are rendered more or less inoperative. The principal purposeof the present device is to provide a wheel having a solid rim, andsectional attachments there- :lor, which rim and attachments will bemutually self-cleaning.

My device is also of a simple and durable construction, and possesses. amaximum amount of elliciency.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying my invention, with thesectional attachments removed. Fig. :2 is a side view of one of saidattachments. Fig. is an end view thereof. Fig. l is a side elevation ofa complete wheel. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the broken linear-zc oi Fig. 3.

1 represents the hub of a wheel of usual pattern, 2 the spokes, and 3the rim thereof. At regular intervals the rim is provided on its outerface with rim elements, preferably in. the form ol. pairs of teeth 4;,and on the inner face with bearings 5, which may be cured in place bythe same fastening means which hold the teeth 4, as a matter ofconvenience and economy. Each of the bearings 5 is provided With a pin6, on the ends of which are supported plates 7, by means of openings 8of substantially larger diameter than the pin. At their outer edges theplates 7 are formed into treads 9, having outwardly projected teeth 10.These teeth are united by bars 11, (F 5.) which conform outwardly to theshape of the teeth, and have fiat inner faces for engagement with theface of the rim 3. The edge of the tread 9 is recessed between the teeth10. as at 19, and the bars 11 are spaced apart, as shown.

9 are permitted In the movement of the wheel the treads a limited amountoi move ment with relation to the rim, by reason oi? the looseconnection between the plates 7 and pins 6. As a result, when the shoeis at the bottom oil. the wheel, and in engagement with the earth, theshoe will be forced upwardly to its farthest inward movement, with theteeth a projecting through the recesses 12, and alternating with theteeth 10 and bars 11, forming together one complete shoe or tread. Inthe continued movement of the wheel, as soon. as the shoes are free fromthe ground they drop awayv from the rim by force of gravity, and theteeth 4: are practically withdrawn between the treads 9.

Any earth which has collected upon the teeth 4 is thereby forced off,leaving these teeth clean. When the shoes reach the upper portion oftheir travel they drop back to the wheel rim and their movement relativeto teeth at cleans the shoes. The teeth 4 not only assist the wheel ingetting a footing in the soft ground, but they also act as'plungers,working outwardly through the spaces between the bars 11, and keepingsuch spaces free from dirt. When the tread members arrive at the lowerpart of the wheel they again drop outwardly, there being two complete.movements thereof inwardly and outwardly in each rotation of the wheel.

As the tread sections approach the ground they hang at such an anglewith relation to the rim 3 that they are in a proper position to come incontact with the earth. This is true on either side of the wheel so thatit is immaterial in which direction the wheel ll'lO V", ing.

It will be seen that the treads 9 add to the width of the rim to theextent of the thickness of such treads, which thickness may be increasedin any reasonable degree. At the time that the greatest pressure isbeing exerted. when the treads are at the bottomot' the wheel, each pairof treads is practically in alignment with the rim.

What I claim and desire to secure, is:

1. The combination with the rim of a wheel, of a bearing on the innerface of said rim, a pin projecting at the sides of said bearing, and ashoe comprising a plurality of transverse ground engaging bars spacedapart, and sides connecting said bars and having enlarged openingstherein to engage the ends of said pin.

2. The combination of the rim of a traction wheel of an outwardlyextending proection on the rim thereof, a transversely disposed pinon-saidrim spaced inwardly from said projection, and a shoe comprising aplurality of ground engaging elements spaced apart, and sides connectingsaid elements and having enlarged openings therein engaged by said pin.

In testimony Wl1QI'QOf,I affix my signature.

LOUIS E. SLAUSON.

